Begginer buying shares

[speed_nut_yn]

Hi

Can anyone recommend how i can get started in investing in Shares in a small scale, I want to put in initially aroung 1k then around £100 per month, not too bothered about risk as would rather see good returns.

I was recommend using www.iii.co.uk, but thought I would check on here first, I was thinking of sticking £1000 into Barclays and going from there i.e. investing a regular amount each month and selling / re-investing when prices go up on my shares.

Is this a good way to go about it? If not what would people reccomend? I appreciate this is small fry compared to other people on here but I want to start investing and i guess everybody starts somewhere?

Any advice appreciated.

[Fittster]

£100 a month will just be gobbled up in charges.

Do you want to select the shares yourself or would you be happy with a tracker/managed fund?

[speed_nut_yn]

Fittster said:

£100 a month will just be gobbled up in charges.

Do you want to select the shares yourself or would you be happy with a tracker/managed fund?

As i am new to all this, I prob wouldn't be the best judge of which shares to go for.. so maybe a managed fund may be the way to go? Although i take it this will cost me more money?

[speed_nut_yn]

I was specifically looking at the Portfolio builder plan through iii

http://www.iii.co.uk/trading/share-dealing/how-do-...

Seems decent for a beginner like me.. what do people think?

Edited by speed_nut_yn on Thursday 18th August 18:15

[Cogcog]

I used to buy through Self Trade and I think the charge was minimal ( a few pounds).

It may be that the markets were kind but I bought in lumps of £200 every few months and bought shares in companies I used and whose business appeared to be undervalued. I held for 2 or 3 years and I sold to buy the Lotus and since then some of them have done very well ( M&S, Morrisons) others have bombed (Coffee Republic went bust I think, Sheffield United didn't make the Premiership after the Tevez incident).

If you enjoy reading the business pages and having something to sit and watch while the OH is doing the shops ( I used to watch who was using the shops and how many came out having bought). If you don't have the tikeor interest to choose yopur own shares you could buy into a FTSE based fund.

[richtea78]

The answer depends what you are looking to achieve with the money in my opinion. Is it long term investment, short term gambling, wanting to play with shares or a specific purpose?

[amir_j]

speed_nut_yn said:

I was specifically looking at the Portfolio builder plan through iii

http://www.iii.co.uk/trading/share-dealing/how-do-...

Seems decent for a beginner like me.. what do people think?

Edited by speed_nut_yn on Thursday 18th August 18:15

I use that service via Halifax (same system as iii), works fine.

[Wills82]

I have started using III over the last few months. Very good service and only charge £10 per transaction.

No annual management fee either. I was in the same boat as you, couple of quid that wasn't doing anything in the bank so thought i'd try my luck.

I went on III and found their discussion boards to be a valubale source of information. I stubbled across a company who have a mountain of potential. Soon my few quid turned into investing a few thousand!! But through my research and talking to other investors i decided to invest.

Fingers crossed for a few years time when the share goes through the roof and i'm sticking on tens of thousands of profit (Hopefully!!)

As you know, shares can go down and you can lose it all!

Wills82